SOCIAL

India court calls for gay and HIV count

The Indian Supreme Court asked the government to supply the number of gay people in the country during a debate on whether to repeal the legalization of gay sex.

Section 377, an old colonial law which outlawed same-sex relationships and made them punishable by a 10-year jail term, was overturned in 2009.

However, the debate returned to the court earlier this month and today judges at Delhi's High Court called on the government to provide the number of gay people in India, as well as how many are living with HIV, before the next hearing.

The bench also chastised the government for not providing sufficient information in the first place.

'You should have done your homework before coming to the court' the bench told an official, appearing in the court, The Times of India reported.

When making its decision to abolish the country's 148-year-old law banning gay relationships in 2009, the court heard that 8% of LGBT Indians had HIV.

But the Supreme Court are now questioning that figure.

Yesterday (29 February) religious groups told judges homosexuality is 'horrendous' and argued being gay is a disease, which can be cured through counselling and rehabilitation.